Star Wars (Episode IV 1977) Genre Theory and Narrative Theory
by
003212 (student)
Star Wars, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope: Episode IV - A New Hope, (1977), Director: George Lucas, Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi. A New Hope opens with a Rebel ship being boarded by the antagonist Darth Vader. The plot then follows the life of a simple farm boy, Luke Skywalker, as he discovers the Force, and as he and his newly met allies Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO, R2-D2 attempt to rescue a Rebel leader, Princess Leia, from the clutches of the Empire, and Darth Vader. The conclusion reaches the climax as the Rebels, including Skywalker make an attack on the Empire's most powerful and advanced weapon, the Death Star. The story revolves around Skywalker learning his full potential as a Jedi and fitting with the narrative, the efforts in the path of destruction of the Death Star, and subsequently Darth Vader. When you focus on the 12 steps of a hero’s journey with, Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, you see a long and emotional journey of an unlikely character develop into someone much more powerful and greater. According to Vogler the beginning of any 12 step hero journey is the normal world. The ordinary world is the beginning of the journey itself and this ordinary world has an unlikely to be hero of Luke Skywalker in it, who is bored with life on the remote farm where he lives with his uncle and aunt. His parents are also presumed dead and he feels unfulfilled and restless with the life he has. Suddenly there is a “Call to adventure”, and this is where something presents the hero with a problem or challenge that changes his ordinary world and Luke Skywalker being the main protagonist of this film is clearly about to
embark upon his journey using this current challenge and the emotion it creates as a driving force for his quest. This “call to adventure” is when Luke accidentally finds Princess Leia's desperate plea for help addressed to Obi-Wan-Kinobi and stored in the droid R2D2, this is the second part of the 12 step structure, and this is when in relation to narrative Luke Skywalker is beginning to think about the meaning of the message, and this means he is curios. Then Refusal of the call is the third instalment of the twelve step plot and this is when the hero ...
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embark upon his journey using this current challenge and the emotion it creates as a driving force for his quest. This “call to adventure” is when Luke accidentally finds Princess Leia's desperate plea for help addressed to Obi-Wan-Kinobi and stored in the droid R2D2, this is the second part of the 12 step structure, and this is when in relation to narrative Luke Skywalker is beginning to think about the meaning of the message, and this means he is curios. Then Refusal of the call is the third instalment of the twelve step plot and this is when the hero resists the call, adding tension to the story. In relation to narrative, this is when Luke seeks out Obi-Wan-Kinobi but doesn't dare take up the challenge, saying his uncle and aunt need him on the farm more than this opening quest needs him. The fourth step is the meeting of the mentor, which technically has already happened, it’s just Luke hasn’t taken up the offer to help Obi-Wan. A mentor provides the hero with a gift or support to help him cross the threshold and in relation to narrative this gift is the Force. Luke finally puts himself in Obi-Wan's hands and begins to learn the ways of the Force in the story to help him with the main protagonists and hero’s quest. Crossing the first threshold is the next step in the twelve act structure and this is when the hero commits to the adventure and enters the “Special World”. The “Special Word” refers to a change world where the quest is now becoming clear and the path is becoming bolder and easier to follow for the hero. In relation to the narrative of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope this is when Luke takes up the challenge for the quest when imperial Storm-troopers kill his uncle and aunt and this driving force of emotion with revenge adds fuel to the fire to help the hero along in his quest because of the added determination. In this new “Special world”, tests, allies & enemies are encountered, and so are a series of trials, giving an insight of what lies ahead in the main quest. In relation to narrative this is when Luke and Obi-Wan meet up with Han Solo and Chewbacca in the spaceport bar and make an enemy of Jabba the Hut. The next step in this structure refers to when the hero reaches a dangerous place where what is sought resides, this is called the “approach the innermost cave”, this is when the hero is now ready for the ordeal. This is the real start of the action in terms of narrative in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. When you look at the actual plot of the story, this is when Luke and his allies have a series of adventures as they move towards the Death Star, this bonds these allies as well. Then suddenly there is “the supreme ordeal”, where the hero faces death in a climactic battle with the villain, this in the story is a number of adventures in the Death Star and a very close call in the garbage disposal compactor unit which almost killed the main protagonist and the hero. This is basically a series of adventures that culminate in the freeing of Princess Leia. Then the ninth step in the twelve act structure is “the reward”, and in relation to narrative this is when having survived the ordeal, the hero receives the reward. This is when Luke and his allies escape with the Princess and the information needed to destroy the Death Star, but not without the sacrifice of Obi-Wan, which puts an emotional and sad twist on the structures step of a reward. This is seen almost to signify achieving an award, but at a price, then the hero must ponder the thought of this for the rest of the twelve act structure. The next step is seen as the “road back”, where the hero has to deal with the consequences of confronting the villain but still, the worst is not yet over. In relation to narrative this is when The Death Star has moved within range of the rebel base and still has to be destroyed. We are nearing the end with the eleventh step in the structure of twelve, and this is called the “resurrection”, where an event occurs which changes the hero in some way and allows a return to his ordinary world. In relation to narrative this is when Luke trusts the Force and destroys the Death Star by sacrificing an old part of his personality, his dependence on machines. The last final step in Vogler’s structure is when the hero “returns with the elixir”, and this is where the hero returns to the ordinary world with some elixir, treasure or lesson from the special world. In relation to narrative this is when Luke and his allies are decorated as heroes in front of a large crowd and Luke's elixir is his new self-knowledge and control of the Force. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope is almost a perfect format for the twelve act structure theorised by Vogler. After focusing on the twelve act narrative structure, you can focus on the genre theory by Thomas Schatz. Thomas Schatz’s theory is that there are just two genres: the genre of order and the genre of integration. When you analyse this theory in correspondence to this film you see it is in the category of genres of order, for example these would apply to western, gangsters and sci-fi. In this case it is a sci-fi. The first way it fits this theory is we have a hero, an individual, the main protagonist, in this case a male, and traditionally this character is male-dominant. In terms of narrative for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, this is Luke Skywalker. Then we have the setting, a contested space which is argued over and is ideologically unstable, like the environment the Death Star has created, and the areas Luke and his allies and enemies fight in and over. Then the next part is conflict against others that is expressed through violence, and in terms of narrative this is the battle in the Death Star with the villain. It also includes the battles with the allies of the villain and the fights in different areas as the story progresses, these are the fights that the majority of, are won by Luke Skywalker and his companions. Then we have the resolution/ending, which includes the elimination of the main villain and his allies, and Luke Skywalker, the main protagonist and hero, and his allies facing victory. In this film there is a twist with the loss of a companion as well though, Obi-Wan. Then finally the last factor in the theory we have the thematic, this is when the hero takes it upon himself to solve the problems and contradictions of his society and saves the “ordinary world” from them, them being the “special world”, as mentioned in Voglers theory. There also is the portrayal of macho code of behaviour, by the hero and main protagonist of Luke Skywalker. There is an isolated self-reliance, through Lukes departure, the hero, Luke, does not fit in with the values and the lifestyles of the community but the main protagonist, Luke, maintains his individuality through the entire expedition, including all of the experiences he goes through on the main quest itself. 9/10- Joe Moorcroft.